Brad Bird to Receive Honorary Cristal Award at The 2018 Annecy International Animation Film Festival

The Annecy International Animation Film Festival announced that filmmaker, Brad Bird will receive an Honorary Cristal award to celebrate his vast career. The festival itself has been taking place in the town of Annecy, France since it was created in 1960. Originally occurring every two years, the festival became an annual event in June of 1998. The festival is not only a competition, but it also highlights various animation techniques with numerous screening and panel discussions.

The celebration of career achievement with the Honorary Cristal is awarded each year to a prominent personality from the animation community, with this year's recognition bestowed upon filmmaker Brad Bird. An undeniable leader in the animation community, Bird has directed three major animation films: The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille (a fourth film, Incredibles 2 will be released on June 15, 2018). Though Brad Bird's critical success has amassed on his big-screen features including two live-action films (Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Tomorrowland), his career has also spanned over many years working on various television projects such as The Simpsons, Rugrats, and King of the Hill.

The 2018 Annecy International Film Festival will take place from June 11-16, with the French premiere of Incredibles 2 taking place on the same day as the U.S. release date, June 15, 2018. The film's producers Nicole Grindle and John Walker will both be in attendance alongside director Brad Bird, with the Annecy International Film Festival stating that there will be "many more surprises" on this full-day of "Incredible" entertainment.